


lay with me so it doesn't hurt

by philindas



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Agents of SHIELD Pre-Season 5 Space Speculation, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-09
Updated: 2017-10-09
Packaged: 2019-01-15 07:50:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12316869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/philindas/pseuds/philindas
Summary: “What are you doing out of bed?” the words are out of his mouth before he even registers saying them, but he keeps them gentle- Melinda is limping, and she gives him a vague glare, but there’s pain in her soft brown eyes.





	lay with me so it doesn't hurt

**Author's Note:**

  * For [qiaolianmay](https://archiveofourown.org/users/qiaolianmay/gifts).



> Hey guys! Long time no see. So I was lucky enough to get to be at the AoS panel at NYCC and see the first 20 minutes of the s5 premiere- we are in for a ride! It confirmed that, at least, our favorite agents are at least in space together, though in the bit we saw, not directly together. They did, however, have to write Ming's real life injury into the show, so this is just something that Jan asked me for, and I was powerless not to write. So, a little space cuddling with a throwback to a season three line. I'm so excited for the new season! Title from Stay With Me by Sam Smith.

Even as he works with the team to try to figure out why they’re on this godforsaken ship in space, and how to get home, he’s distracted.

His focus is on the five foot four woman resting in the room around the corner, who’d ripped herself off of a wall, fought off a space pirate wannabe, and kicked his ass with a metal rod in her leg to boot. Thankfully, Jemma had found a medbay with the necessary supplies to treat Melinda’s wound properly, and she was healing- but they were in space, and Melinda was still feeling the effects of being in the Framework the longest. It was slow-going.

Phil was worried about his partner, and he could feel the strain of that in every part of his body.

There’s movement in the doorway, and his head shoots up- and then his eyes narrow.

“What are you doing out of bed?” the words are out of his mouth before he even registers saying them, but he keeps them gentle- Melinda is limping, and she gives him a vague glare, but there’s pain in her soft brown eyes. She looks exhausted, and there’s something in her gaze that Phil can’t quite read until she tilts her head _just_ so and then- ah. So that’s what she needs.

Phil turns to the group, catching Jemma’s eyes.

“Simmons. Can you handle this?” he gestures to the files they’ve been weeding through, hoping to make sense of whatever plan they’d been a part of, and she nods.

“Elena and I will continue here, Daisy and Mack are off making sure there are no more breaches in the far corridors, sir,” she replies- Phil nods once, lips softening into a small half-smile, before he turns and guides May out of the room.

His arm bands around her waist- it’s not simply a stabilizing touch; it pulls her flush to his side, and she finally relaxes, melting into him as they begin to walk slowly back towards the room. He’s strong enough that they keep most of the weight off of her leg, and Melinda’s breathing has barely changed by the time they reach the door.

The room is small, but the bed is just about big enough for two- and once she’s carefully sunken down onto her left side, arranging her wounded left leg, Melinda tugs Phil down silently once the door has shut behind them.

“You could have told me you wanted me here,” he tells her softly, brushing a gentle finger down her jawline as she allows her eyes to sink shut, leaning into the touch.

“I don’t…” she starts to stay, but cuts herself off- there’s a brief pause, like she’s contemplating her words, but their one promise when they’d both decided to cross the line from friendship to romance had been honesty. “I didn’t want to sound needy, but I can’t sleep without you here and my leg hurts and it’s easier when you lay with me.”

“Then I’ll stay, at least for a little while. They don’t need me right now. You do,” Phil answers softly, and Melinda finally relaxes her stiff spine, shifting back into his embrace as he drops a kiss into her hair, stroking soft fingers over her elbow before skimming them down her forearm, lacing their fingers together. “It’s not needy. You’re injured. We’re away from home. We don’t know why we’re here, or how to get home- and not every member of our family is here. We’ve spent the last however many weeks apart, in a simulated world. It’s okay to not be okay, Lin.”

Melinda is quiet, but her hand wraps around his, squeezing his fingers tightly as she nestles herself further back into him. She tilts her head until she can press her lips to his in a gentle kiss, eyes already heavy with sleep.

“Thank you,” she murmurs, and Phil brushes his nose over hers, shifting his arm until she laid her head down on it, letting out a breath and relaxing her body. He watched her drift off, the remaining tension leaving her muscles, and Phil let the remaining stress leak out of his own body as his eyes traced her face.

He had to get her home. He _had_ to.


End file.
